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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28757307">Borrowed Wings</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForbiddenSnack/pseuds/ForbiddenSnack'>ForbiddenSnack</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/monoidea/pseuds/monoidea'>monoidea</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Aves [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>World of Warcraft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Birdwatching, Ficlet, First Kiss, M/M, useless bird knowledge trying to make itself less useless</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 04:28:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,275</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28757307</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForbiddenSnack/pseuds/ForbiddenSnack, https://archiveofourown.org/users/monoidea/pseuds/monoidea</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Shaw takes Flynn birdwatching. Flynn watches something else instead.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Flynn Fairwind/Mathias Shaw</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Aves [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2085474</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>64</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. I can't believe he asked me to go birdwatching</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/monoidea/gifts">monoidea</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For the lovely mono, fellow bird nerd and Fairshaw artist. <a href="http://monoidea.tumblr.com/">Check out her amazing work on Tumblr!</a><br/>She also did the piece for Chapter 3 of this fic!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was too early.</p><p>It was <em>way</em> too early for any human to be awake, much less up and about. Last time Flynn checked, Shaw was in fact human, despite the skepticism of some of his colleagues. He wondered if he should perhaps reconsider. When pressed for a reason, Shaw had said: </p><p>“Birds are most active in their singing early in the morning. Nobody knows why with absolute certainty. Some say it’s because birdsong travels farther in the cool morning air. I happen to think that’s preposterous.”</p><p>Of course. The man must be part bird. Nothing could explain how sharp those eyes were, keeping a careful watch on affairs from his perch above. He even had birds on those ridiculous pauldrons of his, for Tide’s sake. And nothing else could explain why they were trekking through the forests of Elwynn at such an indecent hour.</p><p>But Shaw had come to Flynn with a request. He had been hesitant about it, as if he was worried about what Flynn would think, that the Spymaster of the Alliance enjoyed <em> birdwatching </em> of all things.</p><p>How could he say no?</p><p>That was how Flynn found himself staring up blankly into the sea of foliage above, searching for the source of the chirping that his eyes were not keen enough to spot. Beside him, Shaw droned on about chicks or something. Flynn wasn’t really listening, if he was being honest. Having given up on his search for the bird that didn’t seem to want to be found, his attention had shifted entirely to the man himself.</p><p>The Spymaster was normally grounded, his titles and associated duties weighing heavily on him. It was there for anyone to see, etched into the lines of his face and his weary approach to everything. Everything except this, it seemed.</p><p>Right now, a smile lined Shaw’s face as he talked, bright as the light that filtered through the leaves, crinkling the corners of his eyes. His voice took on a cadence that was absent when he briefed missions over a table, rising and falling in a rare display of unguarded earnestness. He had seemingly shed twenty years overnight. The man he was before happiness had taken a backseat to prudence perhaps, soaring high on borrowed wings. Flynn was sure he’d never seen anything more beautiful in that moment. He grinned despite himself, with not a care to how idiotic he must’ve looked.</p><p>“...They’re able to communicate the type of threat approaching through the length of the call-- Captain? Are you listening?”</p><p>Flynn started, and realized he must’ve been staring. A flush stained Shaw’s cheeks, and the corner of his moustache twitched in annoyance. It made Flynn want to kiss him.</p><p>So he did.</p><p>“Captain…”</p><p>Flynn pulled back, disappointed that the kiss hadn’t been reciprocated. Shaw looked at him with brows furrowed in an emotion he couldn’t quite decipher. Out of the edge of his vision, he saw a flit; the briefest glimpse of a pair of small, round birds chasing each other through the branches before they were gone again.</p><p>Shaw's moustache twitched again. This time, it broke into a small, lopsided smile, different from the one that lit his face when he was giving his lecture on birds. This one was warm and kind, making his eyes dance and Flynn’s heart take flight.</p><p>It was Shaw who leaned in first this time.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-capped_Chickadee/overview">black-capped chickadee</a> was used for reference in this work. They have an incredibly complex alarm call that can convey the species of a potential predator to each other.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Why did I ask him to come birdwatching</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>How did he find himself here?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was something about birds that had always fascinated Mathias. They were peculiar creatures, soaring across the sky in extraordinary defiance of gravity. Birdsong never failed to calm him, and though most probably never thought much of it, he knows that the notes belie astonishing intelligence, giving way to intricate communications indiscernible to the human ear. Nothing quite compared to the feeling of catching a glimpse of colourful plumage amid the trees, however fleeting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hadn’t gone birdwatching in years, with the state of things being what they were. Now that the world was as peaceful as it’s likely to ever get, he’d finally found some time for himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So why did he invite Fairwind?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spending what precious time he had with the man who constantly tormented him with dubious anecdotes and bad jokes might be the worst idea he’d had in recent memory. It was too early. He didn’t have enough coffee in his system. No amount of coffee would’ve been enough for this, he suspected.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just...why?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could spend all morning examining his reasons and berating his past self, but a movement caught his eye and chased the thought from his mind for the time being. He looked up to see a pair of small forms hopping from branch to branch. Chickadees. They were one of his favourites, their calls often being among the most recognizable amidst the sounds that permeated the SI:7 compound. Small and compact, rather round for a bird, they would be considered cute by anyone who appreciated animals.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flynn had his neck craned upwards similarly, but his expression was one of blank confusion. They were hard to see for someone who didn’t know what they were looking for. Mathias himself might not have noticed, had he been following his eyes alone. He turned his attention back to the birds, and offered by way of explanation,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s a pair of chickadees in this tree, but you might have a hard time spotting them. They’re small and fast. I only knew they were here by the sounds they were making. They have a distinct </span>
  <em>
    <span>chickadee-dee-dee</span>
  </em>
  <span> call, which is where they get their name from.” He paused for breath, excitement building as he recalled the fact. He’d forgotten how much he loved this. “It’s an alarm call, so they’re probably wary of us right now. It’s actually pretty complex. They’re able to communicate the type of threat approaching through the length of their call--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A thought struck him suddenly. When was the last time Flynn spoke? The man never shuts up. For him to be quiet for so long was unusual.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned to find Flynn grinning stupidly from ear to ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Captain? Are you listening?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flynn startled, his eyes focusing to lock with Mathias’ own. Of </span>
  <em>
    <span>course </span>
  </em>
  <span>he wasn’t listening. Mathias should’ve expected this, but he was annoyed anyway. Heat crept up his face, and he bit the inside of his cheek to hide his irritation. Why did Flynn agree to come birdwatching if he wasn’t going to watch birds?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was his last coherent thought. The next moment, he was feeling the prickle of hair against his lip as he was enveloped in warmth, so much and so completely that he thought he might combust.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Captain…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flynn pulled back, disappointment visible on his face. Mathias frowned as he struggled to make sense of what happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Flynn kissed him.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Flynn, who had agreed to come birdwatching with him despite the early hours. Flynn, who always kept him company, even when he thought he didn’t want it, which turned out to be the times he needed it most. Flynn Fairwind, with his broad shoulders, sea blue eyes, and a deep laugh that filled the space even more than his chatter did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mathias smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had all the answers he needed.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Mathias held out a hand, and one of the small birds landed on it. He studied the creature, smiling to himself, while the bird regarded him back with a curious tilt of its head.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Cute, aren't they?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Flynn took in the scene in front of him. Vivid green eyes. Sharp cheekbones. A gentleness that he hadn't thought existed beneath that stern presence.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Yeah," he agreed. "Cute."</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <a href="https://monoidea.tumblr.com/post/641682712052252672/mathias-held-out-a-hand-and-one-of-the-small">Amazing art by mono! &lt;3</a>
</p><p>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Black-capped chickadees are known to be bold around humans despite their small size. You can get them to land on your hand with sunflower seeds!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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